Method of customizing a product with a digitally printed attaching member

ABSTRACT

A product or article of manufacture using a method of attaching a digitally printed attaching member to a material so that it can be customized with at least one add-on feature. The method uses 3D printing to produce attaching members with advanced features, providing unique customization capabilities. The method allows products to change their appearance or functionality and offers a new business model that uses the advantages of digital printing technology to enable advanced do it yourself customization of products. The method discloses how to integrate digital images with physical products.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 14/832,775 filed Aug. 21,2015, which claims priority to U.S. Non Provisional application Ser. No.13/184,476 filed Jul. 15, 2011, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/364,859, filed Jul. 16, 2010, all ofwhich are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a textile item or any product with theability to modify its appearance by adding, removing or modifying anornamental design, logo, or insignia and the like. The invention allowsa textile or product to have a customized shape, size and functionality.The present invention further provides a way to use adhesive as a meansof removably adhering an object onto a porous material, such as atextile, that is subject to varying temperatures and pressures, withoutthe threat of migration of the adhesive into the pores or fibers of thetextile. The invention further discloses a new business model thatintroduces digital technology to the traditional brick and mortar retailbusiness model to gain business efficiencies and improved consumersatisfaction.

The origin of the present invention came about when the inventorapproached the largest adhesive companies in the world, including 3M,Tesa, Henkel and numerous others, requesting a pressure sensitiveadhesive that would allow a piece of fabric to be removably attached toa fabric based car seat. In all instances, the leading manufacturers ofadhesives explained that it is impossible to find an adhesive that wouldwork in the aforementioned application because over time, under the widerange of pressure and temperatures, all currently available adhesiveswould tend to migrate into the fibers of the fabric and there weren'tany known adhesives that would work under such conditions withoutpotentially damaging the vehicles seat. This led the inventor toidentify the present invention which solves this problem and delivers anew broader solution to those seeking to removably attach any objectonto a textile using adhesive. The inventor discovered that finding aninnovative adhesive was not the best solution for the current problem.Instead, the inventor searched for a solution that worked around theshortcomings of adhesive technology to overcome the obstacle at hand.

Textiles are often used in numerous applications and products with twoprimary purposes, function and design. Whether a textile is used in anarticle of clothing, protective cover, home furnishing, carrying case,bedding, signage, rug or any of the many other applications usingtextiles, there is often an aesthetic component to the item thatdelivers a significant value to the overall textile article. In fact,some textile products are used more for their aesthetic characteristicsthan their function. As a small example, T shirts can be purchased plainor with a decorative ornament that helps add to the aesthetic value ofthe shirt. The fact that a majority of T shirts are sold with adecorative design permanently affixed to the item demonstrates thesignificant value that consumers place on the aesthetic aspect of mosttextiles.

The aesthetic appeal of a textile can be improved simply by adding colorto the textile or adding a wide range of simple or complex designs.Ornamental designs are generally added to a textile at the point ofmanufacture in a number of ways including embossing, dyeing, sewing,sublimation, screen printing, embroidery and other means. These methodsare not intended to allow a design to be removed. Instead, the designsbecome permanent fixtures of the textile. Current art does not generallyconsider the advantages of providing the consumer with the ability tocustomize the look of their textile product at any given time during theuseful life of the item. Thus current art does not make it easy,practical or convenient to remove, add or replace ornamental designs ontextiles.

In many cases, the owner of a textile item will appreciate theopportunity to use a textile's design to express themselves with aparticular image, photo, emblem, 3D design or licensed logo that theconsumer can relate to as a part of their personality. One of theshortcomings of most textile items is the limited number of designsavailable at retail points of sale. Most textiles are purchased fromretailers with limited shelf space or inventory. In the case, of brickand mortar retailers, there is a finite amount of shelf space that canbe allocated to varying available designs. For on line retailers, thelimitations of designs is more a function of managing inventory and theability of only being able to allocate time, attention and marketingdollars to a finite set of designs. These limitations force the consumerto decide between accepting a design that is available from theretailer, which can often be very limiting, or simply choosing not topurchase a textile product with a design on it because none is foundthat matches their personality or taste.

Also, there has been a tendency for many of the available designs to uselicensed logos and designs that add an extra layer of cost that getspassed on to the consumer, further limiting the availability ofreasonably priced designs that match the tastes of the consumer. Giventhe state of the current art, there hasn't been a practical way to offerconsumers a generic textile product that allows them to affix their owndesign. Such an approach would serve both the consumer and the retailerby allowing fewer items to satisfy the varying aesthetic tastes of manywithout the need of larger quantities of inventory or valuable shelfspace.

Retailers and manufacturers do not purposely seek to limit theavailability of designs. Instead, retailers and manufacturers findthemselves confined by the availability of shelf space and inventory tomeet the wide range of designs sought after by the textile consumer. Forretailers and manufacturers it is a constant challenge to identify theoptimal balance of inventory to maintain for the numerous availabledesigns. Limited brick and mortar retail shelf space requires retailersto be very selective in identifying the designs that will sell best atany given time. Since it is virtually impossible to accurately predictthe design preferences of the consumer, retailers and manufacturers areconstantly managing varying degrees of overstocking and under stockingthe assorted designs that are being marketed. To complicate matters,design popularity changes constantly according to popular trends. Thecurrent invention helps to stabilize inventory levels by using asubstantially reduced number of inventoried items required to satisfythe wide breadth of design tastes from the masses.

Customization is another sought after feature that has not been madewidely available to the textile consumer at a brick and mortar store inthe current art and is considered to be more of a custom service asopposed to an option intended for the masses. In addition to the desireto decorate a textile product, many textile product owners wouldappreciate the opportunity to personalize a decorative insignia that canbe applied to a textile article. Instead of a generic insignia offeredby a retailer, many consumers of textile products would prefer theability to create and apply insignia that delivers their own message ontheir product. The current invention allows a consumer access tovirtually an unlimited number of design options available to be appliedto a textile in a design area that allows for the attachment and removalof new and exciting designs that are only limited by the imagination ofthe consumer. Advancements in digital technology, combined with theavailability of the internet into most households, provides a new worldof creative content that can serve a consumer to pick and choose adesign that meets their aesthetic tastes. Furthermore, digital designsand add on features can be can be increasingly valuable due toadvancements in 3D printing sometimes referred to as additivemanufacturing. These technologies allow customization of size, shape,weight, strength and functionality of digitally printed objects.

As an illustrative example, we refer to vehicle seat covers, T shirtsand hats that are well known as being textile products sold withnumerous available designs at brick and mortar retail points of sale.Despite the vast range of available designs, retailers and consumers arerestricted by the available shelf space that is only able to offer alimited number of designs at any given time. Since current seat covers,t-shirts, hats and other decorated textile products generally restricttheir manufacturing to making permanently affixed insignia available tothe mass consumer, there is little opportunity for these prospectivetextile product owners to personalize their own design, which isconsidered limiting in the current art. Although there are companiesthat offer varying levels of personalization, including monogramming,these services are generally not a do it yourself project and can becostly. Furthermore, monogramming and other forms of customization arenot widely available and often have a shipping cost added to the totalcost. The present invention offers the power of the internet andcomputer technology to deliver the opportunity for a more personalizedtextile product design at a moderate cost to the consumer, availablefrom their personal computer, as well as other sources.

Until recently, prior art has been limited in the ability of creatingdecorative ornaments for textiles as a do it yourself project. Advancesin technology are moving us closer towards this end. The wideravailability of color printers in the home and workplace are making itpossible to print vibrant colored designs from a common desktop computerand printer. Progress in commonly available software programs isallowing the novice computer user to be able to create unique andappealing designs easily from a person's personal computer. Adding tothe progress in the field is the ability to use the power of theinternet to deliver creative art directly to a person's home at minimalcost through a download. The internet also helps individuals to createtheir own personalized designs which can have 3D design features thatadds expanded benefits to products. In addition, print media and inksthat are better suited for textile decoration have improved and becomemore widely available. Finally, technological advancements in adhesiveshave opened the door to allow decorative designs to be affixed in areaswhere wide temperature and pressure ranges may exist during textile use.The current invention seeks to add to the progression of technology byproviding a practical means to capitalize on the aforementionedadvancements to allow an ornamental design to be added to a textilematerial without threatening the material with adhesive migration. Thus,the present invention makes personalization closer to being a do ityourself project with a more robust opportunity for customization of adesign destined to be applied onto a textile.

Current art does not provide a practical way for a consumer to be ableto add a design to a generically decorated textile item that may nothave a design at the time of purchase. For example, a person whopurchases a plain T shirt because they could not find a design of theirliking, is not able to easily add a design as a do it yourself project.Also, it is not possible to modify, remove or change an ornamentaldesign on a textile item without spending significant time and money,plus risking damage to the item in the process. Adding a design usingthe present art would require significant time in designing a newinsignia and use of sophisticated sewing or printing techniques to applythe design so it looks good on most textile products. An importanthindrance to the ease of installation of a new ornamental design is theomission of a designated space on a textile product that can universallyhold a removable new design or insignia. Thus the consumer is faced withaccepting the designs currently available in the marketplace at anygiven time and is unable to modify the look of a purchased textileproduct unless the entire item is replaced, which can be expensive.

Although a textile item may have a longer term life span, the tastes andpreferences of a textile item owner may change well before the usefullife of the textile item has ended. In this case, if a textile itemowner wishes to have a different ornamental design used on their textileproduct, they must incur the expense of replacing the entire product inorder to change its look, even though it may be in perfect workingcondition. This is considered wasteful and not practical. A bettersolution provided by the current invention is to provide a means thatallows for the easy, quick and convenient changing of an ornamentaldesign on a textile item, without the need of replacing the entireproduct, thus saving the consumer considerable money. Furthermore, sometextile products, such as a seat cover, can be time consuming toinstall, making it inconvenient to go through the process ofre-installation. Thus the current invention can save considerableamounts of time to those wanting to change an ornamental design on atextile numerous times during the products useful life. Also, manytextiles are used in expensive products such as furniture, where it maybe considered too costly to replace the item just to change theaesthetic look of the product. In this case, the furniture owner wouldlikely keep their furniture, despite their desire for a different look,as a matter of economic practicality.

Current art has provided a number of mechanical means of attaching aremovable object on a textile, including hook and loop tape, snaps,buckles, zippers and the like. For many textile applications, thesemechanical means may not be practical or desirable because they addbulk, weight and cost to the product. Also, many textile products, suchas clothing, seat covers, bedding and others come in contact with a bodyand its weight applied to the textile. In such a case, a mechanicalfastener would likely be considered awkward and painful since it wouldpress against the body when body weight was placed against it.

An alternative to using mechanical fasteners to attach an ornamentaldesign to a textile is adhesive, which eliminates the bulkiness ofmechanical fasteners and can be more economical from a productionstandpoint or as a fastening means itself. Short term usage of pressuresensitive adhesives in controlled temperature and pressure environmentshas allowed removable signage to be added to a textile surface in thecurrent art. As an example, decals that allow a person to communicatetheir name are often used as disposable name badges affixed to aperson's shirt or article of clothing at events. This type of removabledecal is only appropriate for short term usage in a controlledenvironment and is severely limited in the scope of its use because ofthe threat of adhesive migrating into the clothing or textile surface ofthe object it is applied to.

Adhesives have long been used as an effective means of applying anobject, such as an ornamental design, onto a non-porous surface wherethe threat of adhesive migration can be minimized or eliminated.Advances in adhesive technology have introduced dynamic adhesives thatallow removable decals to be added to non-porous surfaces facing morechallenging environments than ever before, including wider temperatureranges. This has allowed decals to be applied as wall hangings oninterior and exterior walls and on vehicles, despite the challengingenvironments these applications can present, including wide temperatureranges. However, current art has come short of finding a solution thatwill allow the use of adhesive to removably attach an object onto aporous material such as a textile or others.

The challenge faced by the current art is in finding a way to adhesivelyattach a removable object, such as a decorative ornament, to a textileitem for long term use under varying ranges of temperature and pressure.To varying degrees, adhesives flow depending on the temperature andpressure applied to them and their specific properties. Over time, anadhesive will tend to migrate into the fibers of a textile or porousmaterial, entangling itself into the material. This entanglement reducesthe removability of an adhesive from a textile over time as a bondbegins to form as a result of the entanglement. This bonding effect canbe minor or severe and can cause a multitude of problems, includingadhesive detaching itself from the object or a permanent bond developingbetween the object and textile over time. This has eliminated theability to effectively use adhesive as a means of adding a removablyattachable object onto a textile or other porous material for long termuse.

Many textile items are used in wide ranges of temperatures with varyingdegrees of pressure applied, making the use of adhesives inappropriatefor affixing an object, such as an ornamental design or otherwise, to atextile item given the current art. Rugs, bedding, covers, bags,suitcases and seats are just a few examples of textile items known toface pressure and temperature ranges that make use of an adhesive notpractical for attachment of an object due to the threat of adhesivemigration given the current art. The present invention solves theshortcoming in the current art by providing a designated area to atextile where a non-porous patch is applied to serve as a barrieragainst adhesive migration between an object and a textile so that theobject may be removed and re applied numerous times without causingdamage to the textile or object.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the aforementioned problems in the marketby providing a textile or product owner the ability to add, remove ormodify any design of their choosing to a product. The present inventionfurther provides a means of using adhesive to removably adhere an objectonto a porous surface that is subject to varying temperatures andpressures by eliminating the threat of migration of the adhesive intothe pores or fibers of the attached textile. The invention furtherintroduces a new business model that provides significant efficienciesto the traditional brick and mortar retail models by introducing digitaltechnology to add breadth of products at the retail shelf.

A textile item or product with a designated area on the visible surface,allocated to maintain a means of attachment for receiving an objectmaintaining an ornamental design or any other design, including 3Ddesign. The size of the area of attachment can vary to accommodate thesize and shape of the item. However, it should allow sufficient area sothat the design or insignia can be fully attached and visibly seen tothe satisfaction of the product owner.

A principal objective of the present invention is to allow a textile orproduct owner the opportunity to change the look of their product easilyand economically without the need of replacing the item prior to the endof its useful life. The present invention provides an area on a productthat is able to hold a design in proper position using an adhesive as anattachment means. The design may be ornamental or offer other featuressuch as customized shape, size, functionality, strength and otherprintable features enabled by digital printing including 3D printing.The present invention recognizes that the area can be used to hold awide range of other items that may benefit from using adhesive as anattachment means. The area is to maintain a non-porous surface to act asa barrier against adhesive migration into the fibers of the textile. Anon-porous surface can be attached to the area by numerous meansfamiliar to those knowledgeable in the art, including sewing, adhesivelyattaching, brushing or spraying a non-porous layer onto the textilesurface, and by other means. Alternatively, a non-porous material maysubstitute the material in the area where a design is expected to beinstalled and removed. With the non-porous barrier in place, the productis able to utilize a wide range of repositionable adhesives, includingpressure sensitive adhesives, to allow a decorative ornament, or otherprinted object, to be installed and removed from the product numeroustimes to adjust to the changing aesthetic and functional featurepreferences of the product owner.

Numerous adhesive formulations are available to provide the appropriateadhesion properties that meet the conditions under which a textile maybe used. Since the current invention solves the problem of adhesivemigration onto a textile or product, a pressure sensitive adhesive canbe applied to an object to serve as a means of attachment to a porousmaterial. The object can be an object that is printed upon or it can bethe printed object itself such as when an object is produced through 3Dprinting. The adhesive may be applied to the attaching member bynumerous means familiar to those knowledgeable in the art, includinglamination, spray, brush, coating and other means. The adhesive willprovide the appropriate holding strength to maintain an attaching memberproperly positioned on a item. Concurrently, the adhesive will beformulated to address any additional stresses that may be applied to theproduct during use, including temperature, pressure, lateral frictionand any other relevant variables that may have an impact on the holdingstrength of an adhesive.

There are many types of attaching members that may be considered fortemporary attachment to a product. Although the present invention tendsto focus on the advantages of attaching an ornamental design, thoseskilled in the art will recognize numerous other objects that may betemporarily held in place on a textile or product, or other porousmaterial, using the present invention. The object can consist of anynumber of items that a person may want to removably attach to a product,such as a pocket, ornamental design or other object that would seek tobe held in place on a textile, product or other porous material, for atemporary or long term period of time. The digitally printed attachingmember can offer unlimited variations of customizable features includingsize, shape, weight, functionality and all other features that may beprinted, in addition to ornamental features. When seeking to attach adigitally designed attaching member to a textile or product, the presentinvention recognizes that any material able to be processed through aprinter, either a 2D or 3D printer, may be used. For a 2D printer itwould be common for a flexible material to be used which can flowthrough the printer and have an ornamental design applied to it on itsvisible surface. For 3D printing, there is a significantly wider scopeof materials available with varying flexibility, structural compositionand form factors, allowing for a wide breadth of feature sets beyondjust variable thickness.

Another objective of the current invention is to allow the safe removalof an attaching member from a textile or product without causing damageto the design element or the material that it is attached to. Preventionof adhesive migration protects the article from damage when an object isremoved from the article. Without the teachings of the currentinvention, removal of an attaching member using adhesive as anattachment means would likely result in damage of the article due toentanglement of the adhesive into the fibers causing the fibers to bepulled or torn from the article during the removal of the attachingmember.

The present invention also serves to avoid having adhesive detach itselffrom the attaching member during separation from the textile or productby avoiding entanglement with the item's fibers. Another objective ofthe current invention is to supplement the list of current fasteningmeans available for attaching objects onto textiles or products that maybe subject to wide temperature and pressure ranges, to includeadhesives. As mentioned previously, the use of adhesives as a fasteningmeans for textiles and other products made of porous materials has beenvery limited due to the threat of adhesive migration into the fibers ofa porous material. This is particularly true during periods of extremetemperatures, pressures or other stresses that can be applied on anadhesive. The current invention overcomes this obstacle by introducingthe use of a non-porous material as a barrier between an attachingmember using an adhesive as a means of attachment and a porous material.For some applications, the current invention may serve to improveperformance, decrease cost or both.

The use of adhesive as opposed to a mechanical fastener offers greaterversatility to the attachment of objects onto a textile or product madeof a porous material, particularly those exposed to wide ranges oftemperature and pressure. Mechanical fasteners can be considered lesspractical for disposable objects that may be attached to a product dueto the cost of the fastener itself combined with the cost of attachmentof a mechanical fastener. The present invention offers the ability touse adhesive as a fastening means in disposable applications where costefficiencies can be found over mechanical fastening means. Furthermore,adhesive may be a more appropriate choice in applications where bulk issought to be minimized or where the bulkiness of a mechanical fasteneris a detriment.

It is a further objective of the current invention to provide a textileor product owner the availability of a significantly broader range ofdesigns than is currently available at brick and mortar retail locationsfacing limited space. The present invention recognizes that a removableornamental design can be produced using a variety of means includingprinting, sewing, embroidery, and other means. The invention alsorecognizes that robust functional features can be designed into 3Dprinted attaching members. The invention also allows for the creation ofpersonalized or customized designs by using a flexible material that isable to be printed on by many commonly available personal orprofessional printers with reduced cost to the textile owner versusother means of customization. In home customization of functionalfeatures are further enabled by the availability of 3D printed designswhich can be produced in home based 3D printers or outsourced tospecialized print shops also known as additive manufacturing facilities.The current invention recognizes the use of a flexible material thatmaintains an adhesive coating on its backside and a printable surface onits front side when using standard 2D printers. The adhesive is able towithstand the pressure and heat applied to it during the printingprocess. In many cases, the coated flexible material will also maintaina release liner on its backside to protect the adhesive during printingand prior to application onto the textile. For 3D printing applicationsmaterial may be deposited onto a substrate that coated on its backsideor adhesive may be applied onto a 3D printed object after printing.

With commonly available software, a product owner can design their ownornamental or functional digital design to be printed or they candownload pre-fabricated designs from the internet, diskettes or othersecondary media. After printing a desired design, the textile ownerwould simply attach the customized design to the textile or product.Some product owners can opt to develop more creative designs that arepersonalized and include design components that are particular to theirindividual tastes. The versatility of this do it yourself design optionallows virtually an unlimited number of designs available to the productowner from the comfort of their personal computing device.

The present invention allows a consumer the ability to create and printa design themselves that is removably attachable to a product in anallocated area. The printed object should be printed with highdurability to withstand the rigors of use, including varying temperatureand pressure ranges it will experience. Also, the present inventionallows the product owner to select a design online and order the designpre-printed with the ability to be removably attachable to the product.This addresses the concern of the product owner that may not have aprinter or is seeking to maximize the print quality for their design.

Another alternative offered in the present invention is for the productowner to download a created design that is stored as a digital file ontoa transferable secondary media, such as a diskette, flash drive or otherdigital means of transfer, so that it can be delivered to a printer tobe printed. The digital file maintaining the digital design can also betransferred via email or made available online via a website or cloudbased online storage area.

It is a further objective of the current invention to provide a retaileror manufacturer greater control of inventory by requiring fewer items tobe purchased to satisfy the design demand of the consumer. Thisexpansion of designs without the need for increased inventory or itemcount provides significant efficiencies to the supply chain and requiresless space to satisfy a wider design base. The current invention allowsa retailer and manufacturer to produce one core set of products thatoffers a wide breadth of design options which can be applied to the coreset of products without using up valuable shelf or warehouse space.Instead of allocating warehouse or retail space to numerous individualdesigns, the brick and mortar retailer and manufacturer can offer theconsumer a product that has the availability of a wider breadth ofdesigns and add on features delivered electronically via the internet oralternative digital media, without using up physical space.

The present invention brings the power of the internet and digitaltechnology to the brick and mortar retailer and levels the competitiveplaying field. In the same way, the method serves retailers to allowadvanced customization of products, the business model and method can beapplied to companies, governments and organizations seeking to providedo it yourself customization to items that can benefit from a digitallyprinted add on feature in 2D or 3D. Previously, the internet providedonline retailers a distinct competitive advantage in the ability to costeffectively offer substantially more choice to online customers overbrick and mortar retailers because the virtual world does not face thephysical limitations of shelf space or warehousing requirements. On theinternet, it is easy to offer a wide breadth of product designs becauseproducts can be made upon order or drop shipped by manufacturers, makingthe cost of offering variety less restrictive. Since brick and mortarstores have a very finite and limited amount of physical shelf space andstorage area that can be allocated to any product category, it generallymust be very selective in the design options it offers to its customers.The present invention removes that barrier by allowing a consumer theability to purchase one generic item at a brick and mortar retail shelfand apply a design from a virtually unlimited supply source availablefrom the internet or other digital media. Removing the competitiveadvantage of breadth from on line retailers allow brick and mortarretailers to regain some lost customers that have migrated to theinternet in search of choice.

It is a further objective of the present invention to apply this novelapproach to customization to both porous and non porous materials wherea digitally printed add on feature can add value. Those skilled in theart will recognize the benefit of the present invention to a wide rangeof products that are commonly exposed to wide ranges of temperatures andpressures that do not allow an object to be removably attached usingadhesive in the current art. Among just a few of the textile productsthat may benefit from the present invention are textiles worn on theupper torso such as T Shirts, coats, jackets, jerseys, sweatshirts,robes; textile worn on lower torso such as pants, shorts, underwear,boxers, pajamas; bags such as sports bags, duffle bags, golf bags,diaper bags, garment bags; cases such as suit cases, computer cases,laptop cases, tablet cases, pet carriers, pool stick cases, gun cases;protective covers such as car covers, boat covers, horse covers, seatcovers, grill covers, furniture covers, shopping cart covers, tarps, sunshades; umbrellas; hats, gloves; pet beds; outdoor gear such as sleepingbags; outdoor folding chairs, lounge chairs, tents; home furnishingssuch as drapes, window shades, placemats, rugs, floor mats, aprons,bibs, towels, tablecloths; bedding items such as sheets, blankets,pillows, pillow cases, comforters; air driven devices such as hot airballoons, kites, sails, parachutes; exterior signage; awnings; furnituresuch as recliners, sofas and beds. This is just a short list of textileitems that are able to benefit from the current invention but this listis not intended to limit the scope of usage for the invention in any wayas those familiar with the art will find numerous other textileapplications where the current invention can be applied. Prior to thecurrent invention it was not possible to attach a removable object ontoa textile or product made of a porous material using adhesive due to thelimitations caused by adhesive migration.

It is yet a further objective of the invention to teach the art a meansof removably attaching any object to a textile item, or other porousmaterial, using adhesive. Although the current invention is particularlywell suited for the removable attachment of an ornamental design onto atextile, those familiar with the art will recognize a wide range ofobjects that will benefit from being able to be removably attached ontoa textile using adhesive as opposed to other mechanical fastening means.For example, many applications that have previously used a hook and loopmated fastener system to address the obstacle of wide temperature rangesand pressures will find the current invention to be a welcomed optionthat may provide numerous benefits. Lighter weight, lower cost, and lessbulk are just a few advantages that are made available in the currentinvention over other fastening means used to removably attach an objectonto a textile, including hook and loop tape, mechanical fasteners andthe like.

The digital customization benefits of the present invention also provideadvantages to products that find mechanical fastening means to beadvantageous over adhesive. The use of 3D printing technology allowsmechanical fastening systems to be printed directly onto the attachingmember to save on cost and add strength. By 3D printing an attachingmember the attachment means can be integrated in the design of theattaching member so that it is printed and does not require adhesive ormechanical attachment methods to be added after printing. The use of 3Dprinting also allows for uniquely designed attachment means that delivergreater performance than traditional mass produced mechanical fastenerswith a wider range of materials and fastening features.

One more important benefit provided by the present invention is theintroduction of bespoke add-on features that are only enabled via 3Dprinting. While 3D printing does enable attachment members to be printedwith interesting ornamental designs with variable thickness, thecapabilities of 3D printing provide significant opportunities for uniquefeatures that go well beyond decoration and thickness variation. The 3Dprinted attaching members are able to provide customized shape, weight,strength, flexibility, size, cushion, texture and more. Mass producedproducts are often unable to produce the same breadth of featuresavailable to items that are made using additive manufacturingtechnology. With the current business model, a person can now addfeatures available from 3D printed attaching members that werepreviously unavailable on a mass produced product. Also, additivemanufacturing allows a wider breadth of materials and complex structuresthat are simply unable to be produced via mass production. With thecurrent business model all of the complex structures, materials andunique product features enabled by 3D printing are able to be mergedwith a mass produced product through the creation of a 3D printedattachment member that is removably attachable to an attachment area ona product. Using the method provided by the present invention, massproduced products can have significantly more customized features madeavailable via a 3D printed attachment member that is removablyattachable to the product.

The present invention seeks to teach the current art a means ofadhesively attaching a digitally printed object onto a porous surfacesubject to a wide range of temperature and pressure without the threatof adhesive migration. The invention also teaches how to facilitate doit yourself customization of products with advanced features provided bya digitally printed attaching member which can be produced in 2D or 3D.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming the subject matter of the invention, it isbelieved the invention will be better understood for the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1a is a flow diagram describing the method of producing anattaching member using digital printing technology

FIG. 1 is a front view of a digitally printed object that is able to beremovably attached to a material

FIG. 2 is an angled view of a digitally printed object maintaining adesign floating over a seat cover floating over a vehicle seat using anattachment means to removably attach the object to the cover;

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of a digitally printed object attached toporous material using an adhesive attachment means that has migratedinto the fibers of the porous material;

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of a digitally printed object attached toa porous material using an adhesive attachment means with a non-porousmaterial serving as a barrier against adhesive migration into the porousmaterial;

FIG. 4a is a cross section of a digitally printed object and attachmentmeans

FIG. 4b is an illustration of advanced features enabled by 3D printingincluding stored and transferable energy and data

FIG. 5 is a front view of a removable digitally printed design and aseat cover for an infant car seat with an attachment area for acceptingthe digitally printed design;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a removable digitally printed design and aseat protector for a recliner chair with an attachment area foraccepting digitally printed design;

FIGS. 7a and 7b is a front view and rear view, respectively, of a Tshirt with an attachment area for accepting a digitally printed design;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a suitcase with an attachment area foraccepting a digitally printed design;

FIG. 9 is a front view of a baseball cap with an attachment area foraccepting an digitally printed design.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of the shortcomings of traditional brick and mortarbusiness models which is overcome by the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of the wide breadth of choice available toconsumers using the internet to purchase products.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a new business model introducing theinternet and digital technology to a add value and efficiencies to brickand mortar retail business.

OVERVIEW

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an article isprovided. An attaching member is also provided. The article and/or theattaching member includes a coupler (such as adhesive, a mechanicalcoupler, etc.) for attaching the attaching member to the article. Adigital design is digitally printed to produce customized features inthe attaching member, the digital design being obtained from a digitalfile. A customer may choose the article and/or the attaching member andpayment may be received for the article and/or attaching member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention allows a product owner the ability to add, changeor remove an attaching member onto an article of manufacture quickly,easily and without the need of replacing the product prior to the end ofits useful life. The attaching member may serve to change the aestheticappearance of the item by maintaining an ornamental design or it canprovide varying functional and structural features that improves theproducts versatility. The invention further teaches how to use anon-porous patch on a porous material to avoid the danger of adhesivemigration when using adhesive as a fastening means to attach a digitallyprinted object onto a porous material, such as a textile. The inventioncan also be applied to a new business model, allowing digital designs tobe applied onto physical products, thereby bringing the power of theinternet to traditional brick and mortar business models and introducingdo it yourself customization using digital printing technology.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purposeof illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not forthe purpose of limiting the same, FIG. 1a describes a method forproducing an attaching member using printing technology. The attachingmember may be customized digitally prior to printing. A virtual image 46is conceived as an idea and converted into a digital design which is adigital representation of the virtual image 46. Alternatively, thevirtual image may be found on the internet or digital storage and viewedor modified on a computing device 12. The conversion from idea todigital design is done via a computing device 12 which can be a laptopcomputer, desktop computer, tablet, smartphone or any other devicecapable of producing or altering digital designs. The design parametersare stored in a digital file 47 which can be held in a digital storagearea that can be physical or virtual. These design parameters can beadjusted or modified to create bespoke designs. The digital designdefines all printable characteristics of the attaching member includingsize, shape, physical structure and specialized features that maydeliver advanced functionality. The digital design can be made availablefrom a transferable flash drive or computer hard drive, as well as beingstored on the internet using cloud storage or other means. There are awide range of evolving file types that may be used in advanced digitalprinting technology and computer aided design (CAS) including STL filesand others used for the creation of complex printable structures andfeatures. The digital file 47 is accessible to a printer 13 so that itcan be converted from a digital representation of the design 46 into aphysical printed design 45 via the application of basic or complexdigital printing technology, including any relevant CAD and printingsoftware as well as printer interfaces. The digital printer 13 shown inFIG. 1a is a 3D printer but any digital printer, 2D or 3D, would beapplicable. The printer 13 illustrated in FIG. 1a represents the vastassortment of printer types within the digital printing space and is notlimited to the form factor or type shown in the illustration. Thedigital printer 13 represents any printer that converts a digital fileinto a printed output.

Throughout the description of drawings reference to printable media 40is defined as any material that can be processed through a printer andhave a digital design applied to it. Printable media can be a substratethat is printed upon or material formed through printing. In 3D printingapplications, objects are formed into the shape, structure andfunctionality defined by the digital design being sent to the printer ina digital file 47. Most 3D printed designs are produced one layer at atime or other evolutionary means. A 3D printed object will have alength, width and height in its most simplest form and can increasesignificantly in complexity of design. Printable material in 3D printingis available in many varied forms including sheets, pellets, filament,liquid, powder and others. Furthermore, there are numerous 3D printingprocesses, methods and technologies used to produce a variety of 3Dobjects. All references to 3D printing should be considered synonymouswith additive manufacturing. In 3D printing applications there is a wideand growing array of printable materials consisting of advancedmaterials, alloys and functional components that are combined viaprinting to produce printed objects 45 with advanced and complex featuresets. 3D printing applications may use individual materials orcombinations of materials and components integrated together to form oneprinted unit or a series of printed output.

FIG. 1 shows an object made of a printable media 40 which is made to beremovably attachable to a material 30 using an attachment means 48. Theattachment means 48 resides on the backside of the object 40 to allow itto be affixed to an attachment area 35 residing on the material 30. Thematerial 30 can be a porous or non porous material. When adhesive isused as the attachment means, the attachment area 35 is a non-porousmaterial that serves to act as a barrier against adhesive migrationbetween the object 40 and a porous material 30. Alternatively, thosefamiliar in the art will recognize that adhesive 48 may reside on theattachment area 35 as opposed to the object 40. The object which is madeof printable media 40 can be made of a wide range of materials,including fabric, plastic, leather, metal, wood, ceramic or any complexmaterial available to be used in a digital printer, 2D or 3D. Thematerial 30 that the object 40 will be attached to can be made of a widerange of materials with varying porosity, including all textiles andother known porous or non porous materials.

The preferred embodiment maintains a printed design 45 on the outwardfacing surface 42 of the object to allow customization of appearance.Other embodiments may have the printed 3D design 45 not exhibit anyvisible ornamental features on its surface but instead the printeddesign 45 may have unique internal features that offer advancedcustomization beyond merely an ornamental design. The printed design 45can be applied to the object by numerous means of advanced printingtechnology, including 2D printing and 3D printing methods such asstereolithography, digital light processing, fused deposition modeling,selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, electronic beammelting, laminated object manufacturing, binder jetting technology,material jetting, continuous liquid interface production, selective heatsintering, direct metal laser sintering, laminated object manufacturingand any other additive manufacturing process that produces a 3D outputhaving a length, width and height or thickness. The present inventionutilizes the internet, digital storage, and available computertechnology to provide a vast supply of varying designs that can beapplied to produce the digitally printed design 45. The printed designcan be ornamental, functional or both.

The backside 44 of the object 40 can maintain an adhesive 48 as a meansof attachment for holding the printed design 45 onto the material 30.The preferred embodiment uses adhesive 48 applied to the entire backsurface of the object 40 but some familiar in the art may find costsaving benefits applying adhesive 48 in a pattern formation to minimizethe quantity of adhesive 48 used. Those familiar with the art willrecognize that other means of attachment may be used instead of adhesive48, including mechanical fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners,snaps, zippers, and the like. When using a matable fastening means theattachment area 35 would maintain a mated fastener that mates with acorresponding fastener found on the backside 44 of the object 40. Somemechanical fastening systems, such as zippers, snaps and the like, willtend to use the perimeter 43 of the object 40 as the primary point ofattachment.

FIG. 2 uses a seat cover as an example of an item made of a porousmaterial that is commonly subject to wide ranges in temperatures andpressures. FIG. 2 shows the present invention used to removably attach aprinted design 45 on a porous material 30, which is illustrated as atextile used in a seat cover. As will be shown in the collection ofdrawings, the present invention is an appropriate solution for allproducts or material that can benefit from the customization of adigitally printed add on feature. The present invention teaches a meansof adhesive attachment that extends beyond seat covers and onto otherporous materials, such as textiles and other materials, which may besubject to wide ranges of temperature and pressure during the itemsuseful life. FIG. 2 shows a vehicle seat 20 having a seat back cushion22 and seat bottom cushion 25 and a head rest 21. FIG. 2 illustrates avehicle seat cover 30 with a front surface 32 facing away from the seat20 that has a top portion 34 that covers the seat top 22 and a bottomportion 36 that covers the seat bottom 25.

FIG. 2 shows the preferred embodiment using adhesive 48 as a fasteningmeans for removably attaching a digitally printed design 45 onto a seatcover 30. Advances in adhesive technology offer a wide range ofappropriate adhesives for the present invention, including but notlimited to pressure sensitive adhesives. The current embodiment uses anadhesive 48 that does not create a permanent bond but instead allows anobject 40 to be held in place and removed or replaced when desired. Theappropriate adhesive 48 will allow sufficient strength to hold theobject 40 in place during use, resisting the lateral movement of a humanbody as it slides onto and off of the material 30 during use. Theadhesive 48 will also be appropriate for the varying temperature rangesand environments that are common during the application in which theinvention is applied.

In FIG. 2, the surface 32 of the material 30 is not suitable to usingadhesive 48 as a means of attachment in the wide ranges of temperaturesand environments where the porous material 30 may be exposed to due tothe threat of adhesive migration. The preferred embodiment of thepresent invention overcomes this limitation by allocating a space 35 onthe porous material 30 for a patch of material 52 to provide anappropriate attachment area 35 to receive a pressure sensitive adhesive48 found on the backside 44 of the object 40 maintaining a digitallyprinted design feature 45. The preferred embodiment uses a non-porousmaterial as the patch 52 to prevent migration of adhesive 48 from theobject 40 onto the textile 30.

Those familiar with the art may recognize numerous types of materialsthat would serve the purpose of avoiding the migration of adhesive 48from an object 40 onto a porous material 30. The material can be appliedonto the porous material 30 by numerous means including but not limitedto sewing, brushing, radio frequency welding and other means. In somecases, the barrier patch 52 can be fastened around its perimeter 54 tothe porous material 30. Alternatively, the patch 52 may be applied in aliquid form that solidifies to create the non-porous surface needed toact as a barrier to adhesive migration into the porous material 30. Inother instances, the patch 52 may replace the porous material 32altogether in the allocated space 35 set aside to receive the object 40maintaining the ornamental design 45.

The patch of material 52 covers at least the same amount of surface areaon the porous material 30 as the total surface area of the object 40 inorder to allow a full attachment surface with the adhesive 48. The patch52 allows the pressure sensitive adhesive 48 to hold the removableobject 40 in place on the porous material 30, while also avoiding apermanent bond between the adhesive 48 and the porous material 30 inorder to allow the object 40 to be removed and re-installed on theporous material 30 numerous times without damaging the porous material30 or object 40.

Pressure sensitive adhesives have undergone significant technologicaladvancements and the present invention utilizes the proper pressuresensitive adhesive 48 appropriate to the environment where the porousmaterial 30 will be used. The pressure sensitive adhesive 48 may coverthe entire back surface 44 of the object 40 maintaining the printeddesign 45 or it is possible to use a variety of different patterns ofadhesive patches on the back side 44 of the object 40 to provide theappropriate holding strength when the object 40 is adhered to the patchof material 52 on the porous material 30. The preferred embodimentrecommends the use of a patch of matable material 52 appropriate to thepressure sensitive adhesive 48 being used in order to obtain the rightbalance of removability and holding strength for the application inwhich the invention will be used for.

FIG. 3 illustrates the tendency of a pressure sensitive adhesive 48residing on the back surface 44 of an object 40 maintaining a digitallyprinted 3D design 45 to become entangled in the fibers 38 of a porousmaterial 33 over an extended period of time with varying temperature anddurations of pressure being applied to the porous material 30 and itssurface 32. Over time, under varied circumstances, a significantpercentage of the adhesive 48 can migrate and occupy an area 49 wherethe adhesive 48 becomes entangled into the porous material 30 to thepoint of establishing a permanent or semi-permanent bond with thetextile 33, making it difficult to remove without causing damage to theporous material 30 or removable object 40 maintaining a digitallyprinted design 45. Prior to the current invention, adhesive migrationmade it impractical or risky to apply a removable object 40 onto aporous surface 32 for an extended period of time using adhesive 48 as afastening means.

FIG. 4 illustrates how adding a patch of material 52 as a barrier 53between an adhesive 48 residing on the back surface 44 of a removableobject 40 and a porous material 30 serves to prevent adhesive migrationand allows a digitally printed 3D design feature 45 to be efficientlyinstalled and removed numerous times from the porous material 30 withoutbecoming entangled in the fibers 38 of the porous material 33. Thosefamiliar with the art will recognize that the patch of material 52 canbe attached to the porous material's surface 32 by numerous means,including but not limited to sewing, radio frequency welding or othermeans. Alternatively, the patch of material 52 can be applied in aliquid or spray form that solidifies to become a non-porous material 54that acts as a barrier 52 against adhesive migration. Alternatively, thepresent invention can replace the textile material 33 in the area wherethe patch of material 52 resides.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a digitally printed 3D design 45 with variablethickness. Since the printed design 45 has a length and a width as shownin FIG. 1 and shows a complex design 45 with variable thickness in FIGS.3 and 4, this printed object is considered to be made by 3D printing oradditive manufacturing. While the printed design 45 shown in FIGS. 3 and4 with variable thickness is considered to be 3D printed, the object mayoffer many more customizable features beyond ornamental design, variablethickness and texture. The design 45 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to have acomplex geometry resembling a star. This star design is used torepresent all of the complex designs available in 3D printing. Thedesign 45 shown does not only extend above the surface of the object butalso extends towards the back of the object. The design 45 is able todeliver varied shapes and features throughout its printed structure fromthe surface to the backside of the 3D printed object and all the printedmaterial, components and design features in between. When 3D printed thedesign can be made with all of the complexities and benefits enabled by3D printing including designs that create an internal structure withcustomizable strength, flexibility, dynamic materials, conductivity,weight and other 3D printed features. A 3D printed design can also havefastening means printed on its backside.

FIG. 4a illustrates an embodiment of a 3D printed object that serves asan attaching member to customize a product or manufactured item. Theobject can be designed to include any feature set enabled by 3Dprinting. The object's design is illustrated in three sections of anexemplary 3D printed design, showing the surface area 75, body 76 andback 77 for descriptive purposes that describes advanced functionalityprovided by a 3D printed attaching member. The top surface area 75 orouter visible surface 70 of the printed object can have any designenabled by 3D printing including abstract and complex textures andirregular shape with varied colors. The top surface area 75 providescustomized aesthetic appearance and other features enabled by 3Dprinting. For example the surface can be deliver customizable texture,conductivity, cushion, elasticity, hardness, durability, abrasiveness,radiation properties, protective properties, reflective properties andany other surface feature that is able to be 3D printed. The widerbreadth of complex materials and design features that can beincorporated into a 3D printed design allows customized attachingmembers to deliver advanced features to the surface area, beyond mereaesthetics.

The body's design area 76 extends from the bottom layer 73 to the toplayer 70. This area can customize various properties of the object as awhole including its weight, strength, physical properties, structuralperformance, flexibility and any features enabled by 3D printing. Inaddition to varied internal structures 3D printing the object allows thebody to be composed of multiple materials, which allows featuresunavailable in 2D printing or traditional manufacturing. FIG. 4a shows ahollow structure 72 which can serve to reduce weight as an example butother varied structures and materials can be incorporated and combinedthroughout the body 76 to create unique feature sets. Another importantfeature that may be incorporated into the printed design is storage ofenergy, data or any other feature that may be transferred or transmittedfrom the digitally printed object. The stored energy or data can beimpregnated throughout the printed object in its material 71 or isolatedwithin a designated area within the printed object such as the hollowarea 72 shown by example in FIG. 4a . The material 71 used in the bodyof the printed design and any material below the design's surface 70 canbe a combination of numerous materials and components blended togethervia printing technology to create a sophisticated highly customizablefeature set. In addition to printing out designs with customized shapes,aesthetic appearance, size, flexibility and strength, 3D printed objectscan have customized power and data incorporated into the design withvarying materials and material properties providing versatile add onfeatures. Custom 3D printed batteries, semiconductors, integratedcircuits, data storage, data transmission systems, RFID, cameras,prosthetics, body parts, food, musical instruments and weapon componentsare just a few design features which may result from 3D printing anattaching member. This advanced customization of digitally printedobjects enables a new wave of smart products where digital designs cancustomize feature sets well beyond appearance and shape.

The backside area 77 of the digitally printed 3D object in FIG. 4a isshown to have a separate design feature which represents attachmentmeans 48 that can be integrated with the printed object. The attachmentmeans requires at least one bottom layer 73 of the printable materialand may be produced by a series of accumulated printed material thatforms an attachment means which can be mechanical, matable, adhesive orany form of attachment means that can be produced via 3D printing. Theattachment means can be a 3D printed mechanical fastening means such ashook and loop, snaps, and any other matable or mechanical fasteningmechanism. By designing a 3D printed attachment means an attachingmember can have very precise and customized attachment propertiesincluding holding strength and attachment methods that are optimized forthe environment the object will be used including considerations fortemperature, external force, wind conditions and other factors which mayaffect attachment. This level of customized attachment enablesattachment in challenging environments and weather conditions, includingouter space.

When using adhesive for attachment, adhesive may be applied afterprinting of the object or during the printing process itself. Since manyadditive manufacturing processes involve the 3D printing of objectslayer by layer or in progressive fashion, the backside area 77 of theobject may be coated with adhesive or adhesive attachment systems whichcan be built during the printing process. The adhesive attachment systemcan including an initial release liner layer, followed by at least oneadhesive layer and then the structural body of the object 76 printedsubsequently layer upon layer. Another option is to begin with anadhesive coated substrate as a base whereby the 3D printed design isprinted upon the substrate to end up with a digitally printed 3D objectprinted upon an adhesively removably attachable printable media.

So the 3D printed design described in FIG. 4a provides a vast collectionof features to the surface, internal structure and backside of anattaching member that delivers a vastly wider range of customizationthan 2D printing. With a 3D printed object the attaching member can haveits attachment means printed so that the object is one monolithicstructure with surface features, internal features and attachment meansprinted as one unit.

FIG. 4b describes an advanced attachment area 35 in further detailwhereby the attachment area allows more than merely enabling a means ofremovable attachment between a digitally printed object 45 and amaterial 30 or article of manufacture. The attachment area 35 can beconsidered to be a bridge between the digitally printed object 45 andthe material 30 it is attached too. This bridge creates a connectionwhere processes are enabled which require flow of energy, power,electricity, data, sound, liquid or other materials between a digitallyprinted object 45 and the material 30 it is attached to. Digital 3Dprinting now allows uniquely designed data and power storagearchitectures 78 a to be printed, producing attaching members withbespoke collections of data and power capacities. These stored data andpower features 78 a can be printed within a form factor that optimizesperformance efficiency, ergonomics and aesthetic appeal. The mating ofthe digitally printed object 45 to the material 30 creates a connectionwhereby energy, electricity, data or material can flow, as well as anyother transferable material or feature. The flow of data and energy maybe directed from the article 30 to the digitally printed object 45 orvice versa. Since the transferable material can be stored in the printedobject 78 a, attachment area 78 b or material 78 c the flow of storedenergy, data or material can move in any direction desired based on theneeds of the application where the invention is being used.

Those familiar in the art will recognize varying methods of energytransfer 79 including but not limited to conduction, convection,radiation, advection and the like. Likewise, those familiar in the artwill recognize varying methods of data transfer 79 that can be employedto move data between the attaching member 45 and attachment area 35,including but not limited to wired and wireless means of datatransmission. The transfer of physical matter 79, including water,biological material and other materials that flow, may be enabled by theconnection of attachment means via flow, gravity and other natural andartificial forces. Those familiar in the art will recognize a variety ofenergy resources that can be transferred 79 between the attaching memberand the attachment area including solar, thermal, optical, sound,electrical, radiant, chemical, nuclear, sound, elastic, gravitational,mechanical energy and the like. Either the attaching member 78 a or theattachment area 78 b and/or article of manufacture 78 c can storepotential energy in reserve for later use and conversion into kineticenergy.

The present invention introduces the concept of “smart products” thatutilize the digitally printed attaching member to serve as a source of“smart data” and “smart energy”. With at least one attachment area 35 ona product 30 combined with a 3D printed attachment member 45 productsare enabled to have increased control of the placement and disbursementrate of energy, data and any transferable matter. These new smartproducts have advanced efficiency and form factors which offer a newevolution of customizable products.

FIG. 5 illustrates how the present invention can serve to modify theaesthetic appearance and functionality of an infant car seat 70 bychanging the look and functionality of an infant car seat cover 72 usingan allocated space 35 to removably attach a printed design 45 maintainedon an object 40.

FIG. 6 illustrates how the present invention can serve to modify theaesthetic appearance and feature set of a recliner chair 80 and arecliner seat protector 82 using an allocated space 35 to removablyattach a digital printed design 45 maintained on an object 40. FIG. 6also shows a cat 87 on the cover 82 to demonstrate how seat covers facevarying pressure applied to its surface depending on the weight of thebody 87 resting on the cover 82. Alternatively, the present inventioncan be used to apply a protective barrier patch directly onto thesurface of a recliner chair 80, as opposed to a seat cover 82 used forprotection of the recliner 80.

FIG. 7a illustrates how the present invention can serve to modify theaesthetic appearance and functionality of the front side 91 of a T shirt90, or other textile apparel, that may be exposed to varying temperatureranges or changing pressure on the apparel's surface caused by bodyweight. As described in other textile products, the present inventionuses an allocated space 35 to removably attach a printed design 45maintained on an object 40. FIG. 7b shows the back side 92 of a T shirt90 to point out that the rear side of a T shirt would likely benefitmore from the present invention than the front side 91 since it willexperience more variations in pressure from body weight.

FIG. 8 provides an example of how the present invention can serve toapply a removable identifying emblem 45 on a suitcase 100 using anallocated space 35 to removably attach an object 40 that maintains theemblem 45. Suitcases 100 and other forms of baggage can often beconfused at airports and the present invention serves to provide a meansof removably attaching an identifying ornamental design 45 withoutdamaging the suitcase 100 and protecting it from adhesive migration fromthe weight and pressure that may be applied to it during use.

FIG. 9 provides an example of how the present invention can serve toapply a digitally printed design 45 on a fabric hat 110, such as abaseball cap, using an allocated space 35 to removably attach an object40 that maintains the ornament 45. In FIGS. 5,6, 7 a, 7 b,8 and 9 it isrecognized that the current invention provides a means for the object 40to be removably attached using adhesive without the threat of adhesivemigration. The examples portrayed in the drawings serve to illustrate asmall varied set of opportunities to use the present invention and isnot intended to limit the range of varying textiles that can benefitfrom the invention.

Those familiar in the art will recognize that the present inventionopens up numerous opportunities to add efficiency to some pre-existingbusiness models. The present invention specifically defines a newprocess that adds efficiency to the traditional brick and mortar retailbusiness model and introduces internet efficiencies into the model. FIG.10 illustrates the typical challenge faced by traditional brick andmortar retail stores 60 who are able to offer a limited selection ofitems 61 due to the confinement of limited physical shelf space 63. InFIG. 10 a typical brick and mortar store shelf 63 is depicted withsufficient space to sell a maximum of four items 61, however thosefamiliar in the art will recognize that the number of items 61 availableon a brick and mortar store shelf 63 will vary and may be even morelimiting than the four used in the current drawing. FIG. 10 furtherillustrates the frustration 65 often felt by shoppers 66 who are facedwith limited choice at a traditional brick and mortar retail location60. FIG. 10 further depicts some of the inherent shortcomings that existin the traditional brick and mortar business model, including but notlimited to a narrow breadth of features and designs in the productoffering.

In FIG. 10, a shopper 66 is visiting a store shelf 63 to purchase anitem, wherein he is hoping to find an item 61 with a particular designor feature set 46 on it that matches their aesthetic or featurepreference 67. In the case depicted in FIG. 10, the shopper 66 prefersto purchase a particular item 61 with a personalized image or featureset 46 that they have in mind 67. Due to the restricted amount of shelfspace 63 available, the shopper 66 sees limited options available with avarying image 68 displayed on each item 61. As is often the case, theshopper 66 must decide whether to purchase from the available items 61on the shelf 63 or leave the retail store 60 with an empty shopping cart69 and no purchase made. If the available items 61 are consideredunappealing to the consumer 66, there is a growing tendency for aconsumer 66 to postpone a retail purchase to pursue a search for a moreaesthetically appealing product that may be available from an onlineretailer or supply source that has the benefit of a wider breadth ofproduct available on the internet 62.

Brick and mortar retailers lose billions of dollars each year to thecompetitive breadth of products available on the internet 62 and thistrend is accelerating. The restrictions present in the traditional brickand mortar business model cause the consumer to miss out on some of theinherent benefits available in a traditional brick and mortar businessmodel. Economies of scale and low cost per unit distribution found atlarger brick and mortar retailers often allow for considerable savingsand price advantages over items purchased online. However, the currentbrick and mortar business model often leaves consumers 66 frustrated tothe point of opting for more expensive products that meet theiraesthetic preferences 46 and can be found online 62. FIG. 10 shows howboth brick and mortar retailers 60 and consumers 66 lose out on amutually beneficial business transaction due to limits in physical shelfspace 63 found at brick and mortar retailers 60. The aforementionedchallenge is also faced by individuals, manufacturers, businesses,healthcare providers, governments and any organization who findsthemselves limited in their ability to find an article with the precisefeature set they are seeking.

FIG. 11 briefly illustrates why the virtually unlimited availablebreadth 64 of products 68, with varying features and designs, found onthe internet 62 is moving consumers 66 away from the brick and mortarretailer and product supplier or manufacturer 60. FIG. 11 shows that theevolving online retail environment offers a virtually unlimitedselection of images and design features 64 that can be applied toproducts that have traditionally been limited in their aestheticappearance and feature set options at the brick and mortar shelf and/ormanufacturing warehouse. For the consumer 66, the benefit of selectionoften comes at an elevated cost due to distribution inefficiencies andreduced economies of scale that are often enjoyed by larger brick andmortar stores 60.

FIG. 12, illustrates a new business model provided by the presentinvention whereby a consumer or company seeking advanced customization66 can enjoy substantially more choice in product features and aestheticoptions from a brick and mortar retailer, distributor, supplier ormanufacturer 60. The business model depicted in FIG. 12 is a hybrid ofthe traditional brick and mortar model depicted in FIG. 10 combined withthe expanded breadth of choice made available in typical on line retailbusiness models depicted in FIG. 11. The new model allows the consumer66 and retailer or manufacturer 60 to be less constrained by the limitedshelf or warehouse space 63 inherent in a brick and mortar businessmodel. In particular, the business method depicted in FIG. 12 uses anattachment area 35 provided in the present invention to bring thebreadth power of the internet 62 to the retail shelf or productmanufacturing facility 63. The present invention segregates the featureof a digitally printed design 45, 2D or 3D, from a physical product 61,making the design 45 a virtual component 46 available from the internet62, digital storage device 10 or any other means of maintaining digitalcontent. The virtual image 46 can be applied onto an item 61 afterpurchase or acquisition from a brick and mortar store or supply sourceusing the teachings of the present invention, allowing the virtual image46 to become integrated with a physical product 19 after purchase oracquisition from a retail store or supply source. By separating aprinted design 45 and making it a digital component 46, the new businessmodel offered by the present invention substantially returns some of thecompetitive advantages that have been lost by brick and mortar stores,suppliers and manufacturers to online retailers and supply chains.

FIG. 12 shows how the new business model uses a printable media 40 as ameans to convert a virtual image 46 into a physical component 45 thatcan be applied to an item 19 after purchase or acquisition. Theprintable media acts as the object 40 described in detail in priordrawings of the present invention, including FIGS. 1a , 3, 4, 4 a and 4b with all of the characteristics and teachings provided by theinvention. Printable media 40 is any material that can be processedthrough a printer and have a digital design applied to it. Printablemedia can be a substrate that is printed upon or material formed throughprinting. The printable media 40 shown in FIG. 12 can be included withthe physical product 61 purchased at the store 60 but those familiar inthe art will recognize that the digitally printed attaching member 45can also be offered as a peripheral item or accessory and does notnecessarily need to be purchased at the same time or place as the item61 and does not necessarily need to be sold with the item 61. Theprintable media 40 merely needs to be made available to be used at sometime after purchase or acquisition of the item by either the end user oran outsourced printing service. Although the new business model offerssignificant benefits to brick and mortar retailers, those familiar inthe art will recognize cost saving benefits available to onlineretailers who may want to minimize inventory requirements and improvecashflow using the model offered by the present invention.

The new process depicted in FIG. 12 describes a new way of purchasing oracquiring items from a brick and mortar store or supply source 60 whichbegins with abandoning some of the aesthetic and feature constraintsthat have previously existed in the traditional brick and mortar modeldescribed in FIG. 10. Since a digital printed design 45 can be addedafter purchase, brick and mortar retailers and suppliers 60 can useshelf space 63 to offer a more varied physical feature set or productassortment on the shelf 63. Valuable retail space 63 that was spentoffering aesthetic or functional variety can be used to offer an evenwider breadth of functional variety or wider product assortment sincesatisfaction derived from customization can be obtained after purchasewith the new model. FIG. 12 shows that the new model offered by thepresent invention allows the same shelf space 63 used in FIG. 10 tooffer Item A can now be used to offer Items A, B, C, and D withoutconcern for limiting the aesthetic or functional appeal of the items 61offered. The new model offered by the present invention serves to removeor minimize the purchase barrier that may exist due to limited designchoice available with traditional brick and mortar business models.

The new process allows a consumer 66 to purchase or acquire an item 61from a brick and mortar retailer or supply source 60 and use a personalcomputing device 12, such as a computer, tablet, pda, laptop, netbook,smartphone or any other digital computing device, to download a virtualornamental design 46 of their choosing in a digital format. The design46 can be any form of digital design that would add value, aesthetic orfunctional, to a product 61 and can include licensed designs.Alternatively, the design 46 can be any form of digital design thatproduces structural or functional features available using 3D printingtechnologies as discussed in the present invention. The virtual image 46can be a pre made design found on the internet 62 or it can be a design46 that is created or modified by the consumer 66 on a personalcomputing device 12 or with the help of software or a websiteapplication. The preferred embodiment uses any digital file that can bestored and/or sent to a digital printer. Some variations of the businessmodel will use digital files that cannot be altered, while othervariations may use digital files that allow altering and customizing thedesigns to create bespoke versions of a design to be digitally printed.

With a preferred design 46 downloaded to a personal computing device 12,the consumer 66 can take the next step towards converting the virtualimage 46 to a physical attachable component 45 that can be applied ontothe purchased or acquired item 19. The next step in the process is toprint out the virtual image 46 from a personal computing device 12 ontoa blank piece of printable media 40. The printable media illustrated inFIG. 12 is an exemplary depiction of printable media which was describedin detail in FIG. 1A and is not intended to limit the form or type ofprintable media 40 that can be used in digital printing 3D designs. Thepreferred embodiment uses a printable media 40 that is able to managethe environment where the purchased product 19 may be used. Factors suchas temperature, ultraviolet exposure, lateral friction and otherextraneous factors are all considered when using the correct printablemedia 40 for the product 61 being sold. Those familiar in the art willrecognize numerous advancements in print media that allow printeddesigns 45 to be attached to a wide range of surfaces 35 under varyingranges of environmental conditions and varied product shapes. The methodconsiders using printable media that is a substrate with attachmentmeans, adhesive or mechanical, residing on its backside and a digitaldesign printed on its top surface. Alternatively, digitally printed 3Dattaching members may have printable media formed with attachment meanson its backside creating a monolithic structure integrating a digitallyprinted design and attachment means in one digitally printed output.

The preferred embodiment uses a digital printer 13 widely available tomost households, although those familiar in the art will recognizeapplications where the model can be applied to larger format printers ormore expensive specialized printers that are available at print shops orother specialized manufacturing facilities including additivemanufacturing facilities. The printer 13 illustrated in FIG. 12represents the vast assortment of printer types within the digitalprinting space and is not limited to the form factor or type shown inthe illustration. The digital printer 13 represents any printer thatconverts a digital file into a printed output. 2D and 3D printers havebecome common for personal in-home use, office use and professional use.Furthermore, 2D and 3D printed output can be obtained from print shopsthat use varying types of digital printers and varied printing materialsand production capabilities. When an expensive printer is required thebusiness model makes available digital print outs that can be producedoutside of the home and delivered to any convenient distributionlocation or directly to a person's home or office. This allows complexattaching members 45 to be created with sophisticated printingtechnology at a reasonable cost without the need to own a more expensiveprinter or production machine. Outsourcing the printing of the attachingmember 45 also addresses any specialized knowledge that may be necessaryto use software or advanced printers. This becomes more necessary whencustomization is done to provide advanced functionality or where extremeprecision is necessary for the feature delivered by the attaching member45.

The present invention allows printable media 40 to utilize adhesive asthe attachment means, however those familiar in the art will recognizethat the new model can be applied to products that use alternative meansof attachment and fastening systems, including hook and loop, snaps,buttons and the like. The new model can be used for items 61 made ofporous material, such as textiles or other soft goods products, thatwould not be able to have a printable media 40 using adhesive due to thethreat of adhesive migration that is resolved by the present invention.At the same time, those familiar with the art will recognize that thenew model provided by the present invention can also offer benefits fornon-porous hard good items that would find advantages to using anattachment area 35 to help promote removable attachment of a customizeddigitally printed object 45.

The new model offered by the present invention uses a printable media 40that makes the printable media 40 removable. This adds further value tothe new model by allowing a consumer to not only select their initialdesign 45 but to also be able to remove it or change it when desired.The present invention uses the attachment area 35 to provide theversatility of being able to change the appearance or functionality ofan item 61 purchased or acquired from a brick and mortar store oralternative supply source 60 at any time during its useful life. Thepreferred embodiment of the printable media 40 uses the right balance ofadhesion strength to allow for an efficient means of affixing andremoving a digitally printed design 45, 2D or 3D, when desired.

Thus there has been shown and described a novel means of removablyattaching a digitally printed object using adhesive onto a poroussurface subject to a wide range of temperature and pressure without thethreat of adhesive migration which fulfills all the objects andadvantages sought therefore. There is further introduction of a newbusiness model that uses the present invention to transform a brick andmortar purchased or acquired item by adding a digitally printed designafter purchase. Many changes, modifications, variations and other usesand applications of the subject will, however, become apparent to thoseskilled in the art after considering this specification together withthe accompanying drawings and claims. All such changes, modifications,variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from thespirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by theinvention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

I claim:
 1. A method of providing an article with an attaching member,said method comprising the steps of: a.) providing the article, whereinsaid attaching member is excluded from being attached to the article,and wherein the article includes an allocated space where the attachingmember is later attached to the article; b.) allowing a consumer tochoose said attaching member from a plurality of attaching members; c.)transmitting a digital file that reproduces said attaching member fromthe digital file after the consumer chooses the attaching member; d)digitally printing said attaching member from said digital fileresponsive to said transmitting, wherein said attaching member isdigitally printed by a printer that converts said digital file into aphysical attachable component that is said attaching member withvariable thickness and is printed on printable media that is attachableto said article; e.) providing to said consumer said article and saidattaching member that was digitally printed with variable thickness instep d.).
 2. A method of providing an article with an attaching memberaccording to claim 1, where said attaching member has customizablefeatures enabled by digital printing.
 3. A method of providing anarticle with an attaching member according to claim 1, where saidattaching member stores data.
 4. A method of providing an article withan attaching member according to claim 1, where said attaching memberstores energy.
 5. A method of providing an article with an attachingmember according to claim 1, where said allocated space enables transferof data between said attaching member and said article.
 6. A method ofproviding an article with an attaching member according to claim 1,where said allocated space enables transfer of energy between saidattaching member and said article.
 7. A method of providing an articlewith an attaching member, said method comprising the steps of: a.)providing the article, wherein said attaching member is excluded frombeing attached to the article, and wherein the article includes anallocated space where the attaching member is later attached to thearticle; b.) allowing a consumer to choose said attaching member from aplurality of attaching members; c.) transmitting a digital file thatreproduces said attaching member from the digital file after theconsumer chooses the attaching member; d) digitally printing saidattaching member from said digital file responsive to said transmitting,wherein said attaching member is digitally printed with variablethickness and is attachable to said article; and e.) providing to saidconsumer said article and said attaching member that was digitallyprinted with variable thickness in step d.).
 8. A method of providing anarticle according to claim 7, wherein said digitally printed attachingmember is produced by a digital printer wherein said digital printerconverts a digital design into a physical object having depth, width andheight via printing.
 9. A method of providing an article according toclaim 7, wherein said attaching member's design is three dimensional.10. A method of providing an article according to claim 8, wherein saiddigital printer is a 3D printer.
 11. A method of providing an articleaccording to claim 10, wherein attachment means is 3D printed on thebackside of said attaching member.
 12. A method of providing an articlewith an attaching member according to claim 10, where said attachingmember has customizable features enabled by 3D printing.
 13. A method ofproviding an article with an attaching member according to claim 10,where said attaching member stores data.
 14. A method of providing anarticle with an attaching member according to claim 10, where saidattaching member stores energy.
 15. A method of providing an articlewith an attaching member according to claim 10, where said allocatedspace enables transfer of data between said attaching member and saidarticle.
 16. A method of providing an article with an attaching memberaccording to claim 10, where said allocated space enables transfer ofenergy between said attaching member and said article.
 17. A method ofproviding an article with an attaching member, said method comprisingthe steps of: a.) providing the article, wherein said attaching memberis excluded from being attached to the article, and wherein the articleincludes an allocated space where the attaching member is later attachedto the article; b.) allowing a consumer to choose said attaching memberfrom a plurality of attaching members; c.) transmitting a digital filethat reproduces said attaching member from the digital file after theconsumer chooses the attaching member; d) digitally printing saidattaching member from said digital file responsive to said transmitting,wherein said attaching member is 3D printed and is attachable to saidarticle; and e.) providing to said consumer said article and saidattaching member that was digitally printed with variable thickness instep d.).
 18. A method of providing an article according to claim 17,wherein attachment means is 3D printed on the backside of said attachingmember.
 19. A method of providing an article with an attaching memberaccording to claim 17, where said attaching member has customizablefeatures enabled by 3D printing.